Japanese Knife Guide: Winning Brands
American cooks have gone mad for lightweight, supersharp Japanese chef’s knives. F&W tested more than 100 widely available ones to find the best.
© Nancy Stanton Talcott
Shun
Based in Seki City, the home of samurai sword–making, Shun makes comfortable, gracefully sharp knives, particularly the Classic Series’s 7-inch santoku ($144) and 8-inch chef’s knife/gyuto ($150; kershawknives.com).
© Katie Shaw
Kyocera
The blades contain zirconium oxide, a hard ceramic used in race-car brake pads; it makes knives like this 5.5-inch Classic Series santoku wear-resistant ($100; kyocera.com).
© Ysabel Gonzalez and Jack Bevington
Global
Lightweight perforated handles and the fluid action of the slender blades are both impressive, especially on the elegant G-2 8-inch chef’s knife/gyuto ($100; global-knife.com).
© Harold Arimoto
Mac
Endorsed by chefs Thomas Keller and Eric Ripert, these knives have strong, sharp blades—like the Professional Series 8.5-inch chef’s knife/gyuto ($155; macknife.com).
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